Top 10 Most Dangerous Goat Predators

Are you planning to make your own goat herd and build a shelter for your goats? While you are sitting on the chair with your coffee there. You come up with an idea about goat predators. And you are thinking what goat predators would I encounter to able to defend my goats from being killed if I want to raise many goats for my small farm.

Knowing what predators you are dealing with, have a better chance that you can protect your own goats. This is one of factors that you must know before you build a goat shelter for your goats.

Here are the list of goat predators you must know:

1. Coyotes

Coyotes are the top predators of goats and they love to hunt animals, especially small animals like goats. They like to hunt at night or early dawn. When they attack goats. They carefully stalk the goat first and then run as fast as 40 miles per hour to chase the goat. If the goat wants to escape and avoid the coyotes. Coyotes will bite the legs sharply with its teeth to injure the goat’s legs.

After that, if the goat can’t move now. Then, they will bite the goat straight to the throat, collapsing the trachea, cause of death by strangulation or loss of blood.

As usual, Coyotes like to eat the abdominal cavity first and leave the hide and bones. Then, they look for splintered bones, chewed ribs, scattered pieces of skin, fur and tendons of the goat.

Don’t be confident, even you raise your goats in the urban area because they are very deadly animal that can travel fast and can attack in a split of seconds. Coyote population is still increasing each year.

The total coyote kills now reach about 52,000 goats and still increases.

2. Mountain Lions

Mountain Lions are sometimes called cougars, pumas, and catamounts. They are the largest cat in the North America much bigger than bobcats. This animal is known to be a predator of livestock animals, especially goats. They are capable to take down your goats with their perfect skills in hunting. Usually, their hunting time is typically during dusk and dawn. Also, They love to hunt alone without back up.

They are solitary animals unless mating season or maintaining their territories. You can spot this animal during the day and night. The total mountain lion kills now reach about 3,500 goats and still increases.

3. Bears

Bears are very big animal and they are omnivorous. No doubt that this animal can kill. There are two types of bear living in sparsely populated forested areas in the united states. They are an American black bear and grizzly bear.

Usually, bear kills its prey by biting straight to the neck and slapping their prey with massive front paws, torn, and mutilated carcasses. The only left body of the animals doesn’t consume are rumen, larger bones and skins.

The total bear kills now reach about 600 goats and still increases.

4. Wolves

Wolves are deadly animals, even though their population was declining in the united states. They can still pose a threat towards animals, especially your goats. When they hunt their prey. Usually, they hunt with their packs around 6 to 10 wolves.

Their main target prey are large animals like deer, elk, moose and a lot more. Frequently, they attack small animals because small animals are weak and easy to kill. They often kill their prey using their bite. When their prey runs away with them, wolves chase them as fast as 31-37 miles per hour and bite their back legs to slow down them.

As usual, they kill their prey by biting straight to the neck or throat. Wolves have a powerful bite that causes extreme damage to the underlying tissues of their prey animals. The total wolf kills now reach about 390 goats and still increases.

5. Foxes

Foxes are a medium size omnivorous animal that looks like medium dogs. Their diet consist of rabbits, rodents, chickens, birds, fruits, insects and a lot more. Also, they pose a threat to your baby goats as well. They can kill baby goats if there is no supply of foods in their territory. Usually, they don’t kill prey bigger than a rabbit or hares.

They can chase their prey as fast as 31 miles per hour as their average speed. Actually, their way to kill their prey is using their bite. Biting to the throat are are most deadly weapon of the fox to kill their prey. They hunt just like cats, stalking their prey first, then play with it and next kill it. If the foxes are very hungry they will not play with their prey, they just kill it and eat them.

The total fox kills now reach about 1,800 goats and still increases.

6. Bobcats

The Bobcats are carnivorous animals that have a size about twice of medium cats They are very deadly predator that can hunt animals like rabbits, skunks, raccoons moles, squirrel, birds reptiles and a lot more. The most deadly attack of bobcats towards animals is when they attack a deer 7 times their size.

It was reported to be killed during the winter months when they are little supply of rodents and small animals in their territories. They can chase their prey as fast 34 miles per hour. Sometimes they are often mistaken as mountain lions. When they hunt their prey they usually hunt alone.

The Bobcats can pose threat towards livestock, especially your goats. They hunt their prey mainly at night sometimes at day if they are very hungry. You need to protect your goats towards them because they can kill your goats in minutes. Baby goats are the most vulnerable to bobcats to kill because they are small and they are easy targets while if they kill adult goats they have too much time to waste.

You should keep an eye with the bobcats because they can climb, and sneak and attack fiercely to your goats. Guard Dogs can help you to tackle these bobcats to keep your goats safe. The total bobcat kills now reach about 5,900 goats and still increases.

7. Stray Dogs

Stray dogs may attack day and night. They tend to attack the goat by injuring legs, hindquarters, ears and tails. Also, their attack is much longer and leave the goats injured. The goats may die if they receive too much injury. These predators are least effective compared to the other predators that wants to kill a goat to make as food.

The total stray dogs in the united states are about 3.9 million that is roaming freely to attack animals just like goats. As a result, they kill more than 26,000 goats and still increases each year.

8. Eagles

The eagles are very dangerous predatory birds. In fact, they are two types of eagles flying in the sky of the North America, the bald eagle and golden eagle. Usually, their hunting time is during the daytime to be able to use their incredible eye vision to see their prey, but given the opportunity to hunt at night, they may do as well.

They can dive their prey as fast as 200 mph into the ground. Then, they use their talons to catch their prey. Each foot of the eagles has a four very sharp talons. Next, they squeeze their preys using powerful feet. Crushes the body of their prey. After that, they use their sharp hooked beak cut the flesh of their prey.

The baby goats are most vulnerable to eagle attacks. Often the main target of the eagles watching from the sky. They can snatch your baby goats and then drop to the ground to kill it and eat them. So, better watch out this dangerous predator bird.

9. Owls

The owls are very dangerous predator in the sky. There are carnivorous animals. They most often hunt at night time because they are nocturnal animals. Owls have very sensitive ears that can help them find their prey when their bigger eyes can’t find. Their main diet consists of small rodents, rats, hares. Also, other species of owl like to hunt fish. Sometimes, if their little supply of small prey, they can possible attack animals like cats, small dogs and baby animals.

Owls are a potential threat to your baby goats or small breed of goats during the night. You better watch them at night because that’s the time they hunt.

10. Vultures

Vultures are very dangerous predator birds. They are known to attack as group to scavenge dead animals and sometimes kill their prey. There are 3 of vultures in the United States. These are turkey vulture, black vulture and California condor. Usually, the vulture is scavengers of dead animal carcasses, but black vulture is different.

The most dangerous to those of the 2 vultures out there because they can absolutely kill animals alive. Their main target to hunt are small animals like lambs, calves, ground hogs, goats and a lot more animals. These vultures are more aggressive than turkey vulture and California condor that usually eat dead animal carcasses.

When black vultures attack their prey, they use their powerful hooked beak to peck them until they will die. Then, they share the dead animal carcass to their group. Vultures are very dangerous animals towards your goats so you need to protect your goats properly.